carnival pride

[Tk10]

Hello fellow cruisers! I am definitely a newbie and i plan on taking my first cruise sometime at the end of this year and im looking between two cruises lines, carnival being one of them. i will be going out of baltimore thats the easiest and closest departure port for me, i was wondering if anyone has cruised on this ship and if they enjoyed it or any cons they had? also i plan on getting a balcony preferably unobstructed, however i am confused/torn by what decks or areas i want and others to stay away from. Any pointers such as what deck or areas to stay away from such as middle, back,atrium,nowhere under clubs/food/or main deck they do events on? any help would be much appreciated!

[jsmac3]

We've cruised on the Pride four times - one of those for 14 days through the Panama Canal.  It is one of our favorite ships.  We always booked an extended balcony cabin on the upper deck (which is deck 5 I believe) and forward.  This area is directly above the theatre but noise dies down by 10:30pm. 

[slyman17]

We love the Pride! That class of ship has a great, easy to navigate layout. The serenity area is great, but get there early on sea days. We get the drink package and we enjoy all the bars. Favorites are the piano bar, alchemy bar and the atrium bar. We thought the food was really good on the Pride and ate in the MDR for all dinners. When selecting a cabin, I like to make sure there are cabins above and below mine. You definitely don't want any bars or dining rooms above or below.  We stayed in 7193 and have booked it again for our June cruise coming up. The comedy club is great depending on what comedians you have. We were in the piano bar every night and usually closed them down. With the right piano bar entertainer, it's the best place on the ship. The 24 hr pizza and soft serve ice cream are fantastic. They were late night snacks for us. If you ahve any questions ask away! Good luck and enjoy!!   

[Tk10]

thank you both for the replies! i don't mind little noise like esp during day plus may not be a necessity for some but i will be taking a sound machine to help just incase. most of the rooms I've seen open with balconies are near the atrium or on deck 6,7,8 i believe it was and i feel being near the atrium would be another noisy area but i do not know? I've heard good things about carnival(an acquaintance tends to go on them and enjoy them but i wanted more feedback). I read somewhere but im just asking, are you allowed to take food from like a buffet or such other than the actual dining back to your room? Just thought be nice to enjoy some food on the balcony maybe once or twice if allowed. Also the gratitudes...how exactly do they work are they added right away or mandatory i should say or can you tip as you see fit? 

[VaTech8912]

I've been on Pride many times.  Usually stay on deck 6, 7 or 8, near center.  I do not like rooms towards back due to lots of vibration (unique to Pride it seems).  We have not had noise issues with being near center elevators. Enjoy

[Jamman54]

I have three Pride picture reviews in my signature which will probably answer any questions you may have.

[Tk10]

3 minutes ago, VaTech8912 said:

I've been on Pride many times.  Usually stay on deck 6, 7 or 8, near center.  I do not like rooms towards back due to lots of vibration (unique to Pride it seems).  We have not had noise issues with being near center elevators. Enjoy

Thank you! I've read to not to have a room near certain areas it could be noisy however i thought maybe being more toward the front or back would not be good either. My original thought was being semi close to the elevators to go to different levels quickly if need be but not too close just incase of noise. By chance were you near the atrium as well?But thank you for the feedback!

[sgttami]

I love the Pride and am going for the 5th time next month.  I went 4X last year and like Deck 5.  I've done the obstructed balcony and it was fine for me.

 

You can take food from the buffet area to enjoy on your balcony.  You can get sandwiches from the Deli and pizza is available 24-7.  You can also order room service.

 

You can pre-pay gratuities before you leave or they will be added to your sign and sail while on the cruise.  You can tip extra to those who provided great service but it's not mandatory.  I tip the room steward extra as well as the Maitre D because I request a specific table in the MDR and have always gotten it.  

 

Overall the ship is great and the size for me is perfect!

[VaTech8912]

2 minutes ago, Tk10 said:

Thank you! I've read to not to have a room near certain areas it could be noisy however i thought maybe being more toward the front or back would not be good either. My original thought was being semi close to the elevators to go to different levels quickly if need be but not too close just incase of noise. By chance were you near the atrium as well?But thank you for the feedback!

 

Yes, we have stayed near the atrium (aft of center glass elevators many times with no issues and enjoy the quick access to the elevators, especially the center ones that have 4 glass and 4 regular ones.  I do avoid rooms with a blank space across from door  given I do not like guest laundry rooms nor crew work areas.

 

[Tk10]

3 minutes ago, sgttami said:

I love the Pride and am going for the 5th time next month.  I went 4X last year and like Deck 5.  I've done the obstructed balcony and it was fine for me.

 

You can take food from the buffet area to enjoy on your balcony.  You can get sandwiches from the Deli and pizza is available 24-7.  You can also order room service.

 

You can pre-pay gratuities before you leave or they will be added to your sign and sail while on the cruise.  You can tip extra to those who provided great service but it's not mandatory.  I tip the room steward extra as well as the Maitre D because I request a specific table in the MDR and have always gotten it.  

 

Overall the ship is great and the size for me is perfect!

i was considering the obstructed view however i did not want to get on the ship and be upset for the money i paid even though i knew it would be obstructed so i was torn in choosing that or  a standard balcony. is the sign and sail added each day or at the end of the trip? What is difference from that to prepaid? sorry im just trying to understand best i can. im glad to hear i just don't want to overwhelm myself since I've never been on a cruise before.

[Tk10]

5 minutes ago, VaTech8912 said:

 

Yes, we have stayed near the atrium (aft of center glass elevators many times with no issues and enjoy the quick access to the elevators, especially the center ones that have 4 glass and 4 regular ones.  I do avoid rooms with a blank space across from door  given I do not like guest laundry rooms nor crew work areas.

 

Okay thank you so much definitely puts my mind at ease if those rooms are what i choose from.

[jwkde]

Been on the Pride 4 times and just booked our 5th.  Just did the 14 day Journey in January and the ship while needing some fresh paint (in drydock now) was great.   We tend to do balconies mid-ship which is very convenient to get around.   

[VaTech8912]

TK10.....As for gratuities....you can prepay them prior to cruise.....or wait and they will be automatically added to your account around day 3 for the week.  The cost is the same either way, unless they increase the daily charge prior to your sailing.  In which case, you can prepay prior to increase going in to effect if you want. Depending on service, we normally end up tipping our room steward additional given they fill an ice bucket for chilling our wine each day, extra pillows, etc.  Just us, and by no means a requirement. Let me know if you have any other specific questions. Have a great cruise.

Edited February 9, 2019 by VaTech8912

[bbtbear]

This website might be a help. You can put in a cabin number on a wide array of different cruise ships and it will show you what is directly above and below that cabin: https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/mobile/cabincheck-ships.php

Good luck and happy cruising!

[sparks1093]

We've sailed Pride twice and loved both times, reviews are in my signature. We stayed in a balcony cabin near the atrium the first time and no noise issues at all. We had unobstructed view balconies each time. The ship is a little older but is small enough to navigate easily and large enough to have plenty to do. They upgraded Pride between the two times we sailed her and added several things including Guys Burgers and Blue Iguana, both are worth multiple trips to. 

[JMAE]

The Pride is a  great ship and has a wonderful layout and an outstanding crew!  Our 10th cruise on the Pride is coming up in October.  We have had obstructed, unobstructed and extended balconies over our 9 cruises and all were good.  You just have to be mindful when selecting you cabin, there are some inside corners that when you on your balcony your sight line may be blocked by an adjacent cabin.  Also, if you select an unobstructed balcony that is over above the life boats you might as well save a few dollars and select an obstructed view balcony.  Because when you look down you are going to see the same lifeboat as the obstructed view cabin.  We have never had any problems with sound, other then people slamming their balcony doors on all our 17 cruises.  The ship is currently in dry dock and is scheduled to be completed this week.  No major addition are being added, just "maintenance and TLC for passenger areas" are being performed during the dry dock as we were told.  The staff is very friendly and if Ken is your maitre d you dining experience in the MDR should be wonderful.  If you decide to cruise on Carnival there are many things that can be shared to make your trip flow better.  Example, Faster to the Fun (FTTF) could be nice option, I think it cost $89 dollars now, when available it allows you to use the Priority line when getting on the ship.  It also entitles you to priority tendering, which is very nice.  There is a lot more info and once you decide if CCL is for you I would be happy to answer any questions.     

[Tk10]

2 hours ago, bbtbear said:

This website might be a help. You can put in a cabin number on a wide array of different cruise ships and it will show you what is directly above and below that cabin: https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/mobile/cabincheck-ships.php

Good luck and happy cruising!

Thank you! I will definitely check out the site! 

[Tk10]

1 hour ago, JMAE said:

The Pride is a  great ship and has a wonderful layout and an outstanding crew!  Our 10th cruise on the Pride is coming up in October.  We have had obstructed, unobstructed and extended balconies over our 9 cruises and all were good.  You just have to be mindful when selecting you cabin, there are some inside corners that when you on your balcony your sight line may be blocked by an adjacent cabin.  Also, if you select an unobstructed balcony that is over above the life boats you might as well save a few dollars and select an obstructed view balcony.  Because when you look down you are going to see the same lifeboat as the obstructed view cabin.  We have never had any problems with sound, other then people slamming their balcony doors on all our 17 cruises.  The ship is currently in dry dock and is scheduled to be completed this week.  No major addition are being added, just "maintenance and TLC for passenger areas" are being performed during the dry dock as we were told.  The staff is very friendly and if Ken is your maitre d you dining experience in the MDR should be wonderful.  If you decide to cruise on Carnival there are many things that can be shared to make your trip flow better.  Example, Faster to the Fun (FTTF) could be nice option, I think it cost $89 dollars now, when available it allows you to use the Priority line when getting on the ship.  It also entitles you to priority tendering, which is very nice.  There is a lot more info and once you decide if CCL is for you I would be happy to answer any questions.     

I was wondering about the rooms that are obstructed and unobstructed. How obstructed are they? Meaning you can still see or not at all? How would I exactly know if the lifeboats are around my room? Just trying to learn all I can before I book a cruise so I’m not blindsided by any fees or not knowing how something works. 

[bbtbear]

1 minute ago, Tk10 said:

I was wondering about the rooms that are obstructed and unobstructed. How obstructed are they? Meaning you can still see or not at all? How would I exactly know if the lifeboats are around my room? Just trying to learn all I can before I book a cruise so I’m not blindsided by any fees or not knowing how something works. 

If you look at the deck plans for the whole ship, you can see where the lifeboats are located: https://www.carnival.com/~/media/Images/Ships/PR/DeckPlans/carnival-pride-Deck-Plan-pdf.ashx

 

[sparks1093]

9 hours ago, Tk10 said:

I was wondering about the rooms that are obstructed and unobstructed. How obstructed are they? Meaning you can still see or not at all? How would I exactly know if the lifeboats are around my room? Just trying to learn all I can before I book a cruise so I’m not blindsided by any fees or not knowing how something works. 

Here's a video I found that shows the obstructed balcony. If you are on the deck above you won't be able to see straight down to the water. 

 

[Tk10]

5 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Here's a video I found that shows the obstructed balcony. If you are on the deck above you won't be able to see straight down to the water. 

 

Thank you so much for this!! Much appreciated!

[grandmarnnurse]

20 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

I have three Pride picture reviews in my signature which will probably answer any questions you may have.

Yes! Read his reviews! They are very thorough and the pics that Patty takes are wonderful! Baltimore is only about a 7 hour drive for us, so I keep looking at it myself, but I have no desire to go to just the Bahamas. Waiting for a good itinerary to meet my date choices. 

[CoolOne56]

We live near Philly, so Baltimore is close.  We sailed out of Baltimore once in October.  Too cold to enjoy the balcony or the deck until we got to warmer weather.  Everything else was great.  I agree with grandmarnnurse, no desire to go to the Bahamas again.  I'm not too crazy of 7 days just to go to Bermuda either.

 

 

[30scruiser]

1 minute ago, CoolOne56 said:

We live near Philly, so Baltimore is close.  We sailed out of Baltimore once in October.  Too cold to enjoy the balcony or the deck until we got to warmer weather.  Everything else was great.  I agree with grandmarnnurse, no desire to go to the Bahamas again.  I'm not too crazy of 7 days just to go to Bermuda either.

 

 

I LOVE Bermuda and think the overnights there are awesome. I just wish they offered it in the summer instead of spring and fall

[JMAE]

The image I attached shows two things, one the inside corners I was pointing out. Stateroom 5227 forms an inside corner with stateroom 5225 and this occurs for every floor above.  Second the image shows where the staterooms fall in relation to the lifeboats.  I have found the plans are accurate.  When I am going to cruise in an obstructed view balcony the first staterooms I look for are the staterooms between the lifeboats, like 5230 and 5232. From the obstructed view cabins you can see out  not down but that is the same for the balconies that are on the floors above the "obstructed" view cabins. The only difference is that you can look down at the lifeboats.  I feel all the balcony staterooms are nice and would stay in any of them, but my last choice would be the inside corner balconies.